Sangokuden no Gaim

by Vanishing Raptor

After stopping a thief in the museum with his two friends, Yamato Kusanagi found himself in a new world, where the major figures of the Three Kingdoms era are all beautiful girls. With his companions on his side and as the new Gaim, he seeks to unite the land bringing peace to ancient China and stopping Helheim Forest to Devour this world. Just Live More! Rated M just in case.

16. Aftermath and a Date

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Kamen Rider and Koihime Musou. I only own the plot twists and My OCs. The song near the end isn't mine also and the fans of a certain Mecha and Drills anime will recognize it.

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Chapter 16: Aftermath and a Date

The news of En Clan's defeat at the hands of Shoku had spread through the land like a wildfire. Although Sou Gi had taken their former capital, the credit for ending the long standing legacy of the En Clan went to Shoku for obvious reasons. Many territories that had once been under the control of the En Clan had decided to declare their independence or were joining other factions, such as Go and Shoku. Those states joined the former because they once belonged to Son Go, but were taken away by the En Clan after the death of Sonken Bundai. The rest joined Shoku because it was their faction who had defeated Enshou.

Speaking of Enshou, her name had been dragged through the mud lately because of her decision to attack Shoku and betray her ally, Kousonsan, who was also allied with Shoku and had now joined the ranks of its officers. Her reputation was ruined even further when her reason for attacking Shoku, which inadvertently led the En Clan to its destruction, was revealed. Suffice to say, the name of Enshou would be synonymized with stupidity and foolish arrogance for the coming generations. She even gained the moniker of 'Enshou the Fool' because of her impulsive decisions and foolish actions that had ended the long standing legacy of the En Clan.

Her ancestors were definitely rolling in their graves right now.

Since they had defeated the En Clan and absorbed some of their territory, Shoku had officially positioned themselves as the third great power in Ancient China along with Sou Gi and Son Go. Under the leadership of Yamato Kusanagi, the Azure War God and a band of powerful warriors under him called the Five Tiger Generals along with several others, it was without a doubt that Shoku had earned its position through their own effort.

As the news of Shoku's victory reached the ears of other rulers and warlords across the land, they had their own reactions to it.

For example, their allies in Son Go.

---

In Son Go…

Renfa was humming a little tune to herself as she brushed Sonsaku's hair with Yuki watching the sisters' bonding moment. The former queen of Son Go's condition was improving and she was getting healthier day by day. It wouldn't be long before she retook her throne from Renfa.

"Kusanagi is really impressive, isn't he?" smiled Sonsaku.

"Is it about his victory over Enshou?" Renfa inquired as she brushed the long pink tresses of her sister's.

"That's what people are talking about lately, right?" the eldest daughter of the Son family inquired back before she giggled.

"And what do you think of it, Sheren-neesama?" asked Renfa, smiling at her sister's usual antics.

"It was an amazing achievement even if it was against someone like Enshou. It's not like everyone could do what Kusanagi had done in his battles against Enshou," answered the oldest daughter of Son Family.

"It is impressive, considering who Yamato is," said Yuki as she pushed her glasses up. "First he defeated Enshou's army of 3,000 soldiers to save Kousonsan-san and the refugees of Ryousei Commandery by himself. He managed to prevail despite the numbers standing against him. And then he defeated Enshou's invasion force and captured two of Enshou's officers. It is notable that Shoku Army was outmatched 5 to 1 in Enshou's favor in that battle, yet through tactical planning and using the battlefield to his advantage, Yamato managed to not only defeat Enshou but also forced her to turn tail and flee."

"And then there's the final battle with the En Clan after he recruited Kouchuu Kanshou, Chou'un Shiryuu, Gengan and Gien Bunchou in Lecheng. Reports said that Yamato rescued Kouchuu's daughter himself when she was blackmailed to cover for Enshou's escape through Lecheng," Renfa continued for her general as she continued to brush her sister's hair. "In that battle, Yamato not only defeated the Emissary of the Black Spear Kurokage Shin and took his Energy Lockseed, but he also managed to repel the new Genesis Rider called Sigurd that appeared to take Kurokage and Gridon back."

A frown creased on Sonsaku's expression as she asked, "This new Rider...Is he with the White Clothes you speak of?"

"Yes. From what Yamato said, Sigurd is in fact Saji, one of the leading figures of the White Clothes," answered Renfa who also frowned.

"It looks like whoever these White Clothes are, they certainly had it in for Kusanagi, you, and Baron," said Sonsaku to Yuki.

"Considering that we interfered with something important to them on the day we arrived here, it is to be expected," answered the bespectacled Rider.

Sonsaku hummed thoughtfully in response to Yuki's reply. She then turned to her sister and smiled at her, "It seems that we have strong allies in Shoku and Kusanagi. It's all thanks to Renfa's decision to propose an alliance with them during the Anti-Toutaku Alliance."

Renfa blushed under her sister's praise and smiled shyly. "I-I only did what I thought was right. Back then, I felt forming an alliance with Shoku was the best option I had for Son Go's future. And now...I'm glad that the decision I made was the right one."

Sonsaku smiled at her sister and wondered out loud, "So, Azure War God Gaim, huh? It suits him."

"Yes, after everything he has done and what he's capable of, that epitaph is perhaps suits him the best," Renfa added, smiling faintly as she did so.

The eldest Son family's daughter smiled mischievously upon seeing the look on her sister's face. "Ara, you really know how to pick your future husband, Renfa. Maybe you really intend to marry Kusanagi someday when you proposed the alliance with Shoku."

The middle daughter of the Son family's face flamed scarlet upon hearing her sister's teasing. "O-Onee-sama! I-I just…! I-I didn't…! I-I mean...Y-Yamato…"

Sonsaku giggled as her sister spluttering denials which made Renfa pout. "Sheren-neesama! You're picking on me!"

"Hehehe, I'm sorry Renfa, but your expression…!" Sonsaku's giggle turn into a full blown laughter which made Renfa look away from her sister, puffing her cheeks as she did.

"How mean of you, Sheren-neesama."

Even Yuki giggled at the Son Sisters' antics, which caused Renfa to look at her as if she had betrayed her.

"Even you are picking on me, Yuki…" Renfa sulked.

"I-I'm sorry, Renfa-sama," Yuki replied as she tried to get her giggles under control, which made the young queen pout again.

Sonsaku eventually calmed down and spoke again. "Actually, I'm happy for you. Now I can rest easy with someone as strong and as compassionate as Kusanagi watching over you."

"What are you talking about, Sheren-neesama?" Renfa asked curiously.

"It's nothing to worry about," Sonsaku shook her head in reply, causing her sister to look at her worriedly and Yuki narrowed her eyes slightly. The former queen of Son Go then turned to the junior strategist, "What about Sou Gi? Didn't they manage to capture Nanping at the same time when Kusanagi defeated Enshou?"

"Yes, they did. Sou Gi is now launching campaign after campaign to expand their territory. It seems that Sousou-dono is taking things quite seriously now after the Han Dynasty's collapse. At the rate of their territory expansion they will…" Here Yuki paused for a moment before she let out an audible sigh. "...They will launch an invasion on Shoku sometimes in the future."

Sonsaku and Renfa frowned upon hearing the news. Sousou was never the shy one about her ambition to rule the land under her banner, so it was expected for her to expand her territory by launching military campaigns, something that Sonsaku was familiar with.

"That is worrisome…" Sonsaku sighed.

Renfa then noticed the troubled expression Yuki had. "Are you alright, Yuki?"

"...I…" the bespectacled girl seemed to hesitate for a moment before she sighed wearily. "...I'm worried about those two."

"You mean your friends, Kusanagi and Baron, right?" inquired Sonsaku.

"Yes…" Yuki then let out a humorless chuckle. "Fate is a really cruel mistress, isn't it? Two best friends now are on two different factions and wielding the titles that are destined to fight each other."

"What do you mean?" Renfa asked.

"Just like Shoku and Sou Gi are bitter rivals in the history of my homeworld, Gaim and Baron are also destined to be rivals that must fight one another in a battle where only one would walk away victorious," answered Yuki. "I...I was afraid that Yamato and Shun would end up like that too. If they do become enemies in battle, I...I really don't know what should I do."

"Yuki…" Renfa whispered sympathetically.

"After my parents died, Yamato and Shun had became my rock and anchor. They dragged me out of my sadness and depression which I'm eternally grateful for. They have become an important part of my life and I can't imagine how it would be without them around," Yuki admitted with a fond smile. Her smile dropped as continued on, "Now they will become enemies and I...I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose any of them because they mean so much to me."

"Then perhaps you need to remind them of their bond," Sonsaku advised.

"...Maybe, but the dreams I have been having lately...They scare me so much…"

"What kind of dreams have you been having?" asked Renfa.

"I see Shun and Yamato standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, with their armies behind them. They both look serious, resolute in their path. It doesn't look peaceful at all. Then, they clash violently with each other, looking like they're trying to kill each other," Yuki told the Son sisters before a sob escaped her lips. "And what do I do? I just stand there and watch! I watch my best friends trying to kill each other and do nothing to stop them!"

"It is only a dream," Renfa consoled her. "I doubt your friends will go that far. They are the best of friends, are they not?"

Sonsaku shook her head in disagreement, "Perhaps not. Baron did take part in a vicious takeover under Sousou's command not too long ago. It earned him the title the Crimson Bloody Knight."

"What did he do?" Yuki asked, dreading the answer.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Sonsaku asked, a little worried for Yuki's reaction afterward.

"I'll find out eventually. What happened, Sheren-sama?" Yuki asked pleadingly. "Please, tell me. I need to know what he did!"

"Baron slaughtered the Ba Clan."

Yuki went pale and shook her head in denial, "No, there's no way! Shun might be an idiot but he's not a cold-blooded killer!"

"It's what I heard. By the time it was over, even his yellow armor was stained in blood. According to witnesses, he looked like some kind of demon," Sonsaku told her sadly.

"T-That's not true! Shun...Shun is nothing like Kaito! He is not a power-hungry warmonger like him!" Yuki tried to deny over and over.

Sonsaku told her, "Yuki, in this era, people can change. Even the kindest of us could hide the darkest of hearts. You may think you know him, but deep down, he must have a darkness which has only been brought out in this world."

"Sousou...it's all her fault," growled Yuki. She blamed the blonde loli Shun had sworn his allegiance to. She had corrupted him, somehow, the bespectacled Rider believed.

"Perhaps, but remember, this is the era of ambitions and dreams. Perhaps there is something that Baron wants so much that eventually changed him," Sonsaku reminded her.

"What Shun wants the most…" Yuki whispered to herself. What could Shun want so badly that he could only get by following Sousou? Her eyes went wide in realization."No...no way!"

"What is it Yuki?" asked Renfa concernedly.

"...He...He wants to prove that he is stronger than Yamato," said Yuki weakly. "He always felt overshadowed by Yamato because of his talent and reputation. We are all glad to be his friends, but sometimes even I was overwhelmed by it. Though, I have learned how to deal with that as time marches on."

"Envy and jealousy can be powerful motivators," Sonsaku spoke wisely.

"So, Baron has a grudge against Yamato?" Renfa asked.

"Even the best of friends can hold some resentment towards each other, deep down. At some point, it just festers and boils until it explodes."

Yuki looked down to her lap and clenched her fists. Tears of frustration and helplessness welled in her eyes. 'What can I do? I have to stop them! Yamato and Shun can't end like Kouta and Kaito!' a determined glint shone in her eyes as an idea came to her mind. 'I need to go talk to Shun! I need to snap him out of it!'

"Sheren-sama, do we know where Sousou's campaign is taking her next?" Yuki asked.

"Yuki, I know what you're thinking..." Sonsaku started.

"Shun needs to hear from me! I have to talk to him! Maybe I can convince him to defect and join Go! He doesn't have to be with Sousou to prove anything!" She seemed desperate.

"And what happens if you can't change his mind?" Sonsaku's rhetorical question stopped Yuki on her track. She was desperate to see her friends to not end fighting against each other and logic seemed to have left her for the moment.

"I…"

Sonsaku stood from her bed and pulled Yuki into a tender hug, one that reminded her of her late mother. "Sometimes, you have to be cruel to show kindness. Even if you somehow convinced Baron to join us, what makes you sure that he wouldn't challenge Kusanagi in the future? What guarantees do you have that his battle with Kusanagi wouldn't be even more violent if he challenged Kusanagi sooner?"

Yuki was silent as her tears finally leaked from her eyes and streaming down on her cheeks. "...Sheren-sama...What should I do?"

"You have to remember that man is a prideful being. What Baron wants to do is to prove his worth and pride as a man to Kusanagi. There is nothing that you can do about that."

"...Is there really nothing I can do?" Yuki whispered into the hug.

Sonsaku released the hug and looked at the junior strategist kindly. "You can always stop them from going too far. Remind them of who they really are and the bond they share with each other."

"... Can I really do it?" asked the bespectacled girl, her tone was nearly hushed.

"Have faith in yourself, Yuki. You are much stronger than this," Sonsaku told her a little sternly. She then smiled her as she continued, "If your friends do something stupid, you can always set them straight. It's a woman's job to keep a man in line after all."

"This is coming from a woman who has never had a relationship with a man before," Renfa remarked mischievously.

"Well, Meirin always knows the right time to call me out if she thinks I'm being stupid," Sonsaku shrugged.

Yuki giggled to herself as she wiped off her tears. "Ehehe...Thank you, Sheren-sama."

"No problem. Just get a hold of yourself together when the time comes, okay?" Sonsaku said.

"Yes," Yuki replied as she grinned. "I'll just have to set those two right if they ever do something stupid. Especially Shun since he has a one-track mind."

"Now that's the spirit!" Sonsaku smiled before she took Yuki's hand and helped her stand up.

"Sheren-sama?" Yuki asked, puzzled, before Sonsaku made her sit in front of Renfa and undid her bun, letting her hair fell straight, reaching to her mid-back.

"Renfa, could you brush Yuki's hair? I'm sure it will help her to take her mind off of any burdening thoughts," Sonsaku requested before she grinned like a cheshire cat that instantly set Renfa on the edge. "Let's talk about your future husband instead. We have his childhood friend so you can ask her anything you want."

"Sheren-neesama!" Renfa protested with heavy blush.

"If you want to ask me about my best friend's love life, you have to know he never really had one," Yuki confessed, smiling teasingly at Renfa. "In fact, his only experience with girls his age is me."

"Really?" Renfa asked a little hopefully.

"Yeah. Although…" here Yuki paused as she seemed to think about something. "With his reputation, it's hard to tell if a girl's really interested in him or just because of his popularity. Also, I have heard about some rumors about him and Kan'u-dono becoming a couple."

"I-I see…" Renfa looked a little crestfallen at the news. Not only did she have to show that she was genuinely interested in Yamato as a man and look past through his reputations, she had to contend with the girl who was probably the closest to him since he became a ruler.

"Now don't look so sad, Renfa. Kan'u-dono might have become his first girlfriend, but you will become his first wife," Sonsaku added with a teasing grin. "Besides, a king can have several wives and mistresses, so you don't have to worry."

Renfa blushed and hid her face behind Yuki's hair.

"I'm not sure Yamato will be into that sort of thing," Yuki sweatdropped. She could hardly imagine Yamato as a king with a harem of women sitting around him and his throne. Then she blinked as she realized that his officers completely consisted of women. "...On second thought, maybe things have changed a lot…" she mumbled under her breath.

"See? All you have to do is to marry him and make it official! You did say that once I returned to the throne you have to marry him to keep the alliance going, right?" Sonsaku then smiled impishly at her sister. "Do you really want me to make it official once I return to the throne?"

Renfa sputtered unrecognizable denials as her face turned red.

"Shreren-sama, sometimes you scare me..." sighed Yuki. Sonsaku Hakufu was a great ruler, but this woman here was also playful and whimsical. Sometimes, it was hard to deal with her, but Yuki couldn't see herself serving anyone else. At least she wasn't serving a warmongering tyrant like Sousou, unlike her friend Shun.

God help him if he ended up turning into a warmonger too because she wouldn't hold back on beating some sense back into that overly thick skull of his.

---

Shun sneezed out of a sudden. He blinked and looked around as if he was looking for something.

"Are you OK, Boss?" Gakushin asked.

"Yeah. I guess some dust got in my nose," Shun replied as he rubbed his nose. "Alright, where were we?"

"Mao wants you to check out her latest invention," Gakushin reminded. She was a young woman dressed in a sleeveless purple blouse with an upturned collar and shorts. Her silver hair seemed spiky and unruly, but was also tied in a meticulous braid. Her tanned skin was covered in battle scars.

"So what did she want to show me anyway?" Shun asked.

"I don't know. All she said was, "Breaking through the toughest protection with a single blow!", or something like that," the silver-haired officer sighed as she massaged her temples. "I really wish I know what is going in her mind."

"A word of advice Nagi, don't try to figure how the hell a mad scientist's mind works. You'll get hell of a headache or get your mind blown away to pieces," Shun nodded firmly, causing his lieutenant to sweatdrop.

"You're not making any sense at all, Boss…"

"Hey look. We're here already," said Shun as they arrived in front of a workshop.

Inside was a haphazard mess. Various metal pieces and bits were strewn around carelessly along with various pieces of hardwood and all. Chains were hung from the ceiling with various unidentified metal parts on it. In the middle of them room was a young woman with messy purple hair done into twin tails and blue eyes. She appeared to only wear a tiger-striped bikini and shorts with two large brown belts crisscrossed against each other with several pockets containing her working tools which hid nothing of her voluptuous figure. A pair of blue flowing detached sleeves, a cape, and a pair of goggles hanging from her neck also complemented her appearance.

She was Riten Mansei, the chief engineer and inventor of Sou Gi.

She was working on the last adjustment to her invention on a work table which was as haphazard as the rest of the room.

"Yo, Mao! We're here!" Shun called out loud.

Riten perked up upon hearing Shun's voice and replied quickly. "Just a moment, Shun-sama! I'm almost done!" She then worked on her invention much faster than before.

"...I just hope this one won't blow on us again…" Shun muttered, remembering the time when Riten tried to duplicate his Rose Attacker, or at least an ancient version of a motorcycle. It wasn't pretty. The fuel she used had combusted and destroyed her invention. Worst part, he was the guinea pig for that experiment. Thankfully, he was in his armor, so his wounds weren't too bad.

Though, perhaps it would be a good idea to bring a medic just in case things went awry whenever Riten was testing her invention on someone.

"I agree…" Gakushin agreed with a shudder. She was one of Riten's favorite guinea pigs and she still remember the horrors she had experienced when it came to Riten's gadgets.

Five minutes later, Riten approached Shun and Gakushin carrying something covered by a tarp. "Thank you for coming here today, Shun-sama. I'm sure my new invention will blow your mind away!" she grinned.

"Ahaha...I sure hope so," Shun laughed nervously in return while Gakushin instinctively inched closer to him.

She was trying her damndest not to whimper. She had an image to keep after all.

"So! Are you ready to see my new invention?" Riten asked with a grin. Without waiting for her captain and friend's response, she revealed her invention by pulling the tarp, "Tadaa!"

Shun blinked when he saw Riten's newest innovation. "A pile bunker?"

A pile bunker, from where he came from, was a tool that operated using a pneumatic or hydraulic piston that was connected to a sharp spike and recoil springs. It used rapid compression to drive the spike into an object, like a jackhammer. The spike actually drove quickly into the target before retracting to be ready for another strike.

"Is that what you call this thing?" Riten asked. She never really came up with a name just yet.

"Yeah, it looks like a weapon from my world," Shun answered before he looked at Riten incredulously. "How did you make it anyway?" He was honestly impressed and flabbergasted by the stuff the purple-haired girl created, like that Drill Spear she used as her personal weapon.

A Drill Spear. In ancient China. An honest to God working Drill Spear. In. Ancient. China. Shun's head was hurting just by trying to make sense how the heck that could happen.

"That's a secret~!" Riten singsonged before she wiggled her eyebrow suggestively. "I'd gladly tell you if you tell me how your belt work! I'll add in some extra stuff just for you, Shun-sama!"

Shun sighed. Ever since working under his command, Riten was bent on figuring how his Sengoku Driver worked. She even wasn't shy to offer herself to him just to learn the secrets of the Sengoku Driver. He was flattered and weirded out with how obsessed she was with his gear. Guess this era didn't care too much about modesty.

Still, the only girl in his mind and heart was Yuki. No one else had the same position as she did in his life. He knew harem was more trouble than its worth.

"Look Mao, I'm not even sure how the madman that called himself a scientist created them. All I know is that these Drivers are able to convert Lockseeds and use them as a power source to create the armor and weapons," Shun explained to his lieutenant.

"But what about the suit and armor?" she asked eagerly.

"Hmm…" Shun thought about it for a moment so he could explain the terms properly to Riten and Gakushin.

"Mao, you said you wanted to demonstrate your new invention," Gakushin reminded.

Riten pouted at her friend. "You always spoil my fun, Nagi."

Shun cleared his throat. "So, a demonstration now?"

"Ah, yes. I was wondering that you should test it out, Shun-sama," Riten suggested.

Shun blanched. "Why me? Don't you remember about what happened with the last invention you showed me?" He really didn't want to repeat the ancient motorcycle incident. Ever again.

"It's because your armor is strong enough to handle anything, Shun-sama," Riten answered without missing a beat.

"Yay me," Shun cheered with no real enthusiasm. Resignedly he strapped on his Driver and activated the Lockseed without saying his usual phrase. He then locked it to his Driver and sliced it open.

"BANANA!"

"LOCK ON!"

"COME ON! BANANA ARMS! KNIGHT OF SPEAR!"

Baron took the pile bunker from Riten's hand and examined it. "So...how does this work?"

"Mount the pile bunker into your arm and fasten the straps to secure it."

Baron did as instructed. He was glad his armor enhanced his strength, otherwise he wouldn't be able to mount the heavy weapon on his limb.

"Now pull the shaft on the back to its fullest until you hear a click. Then you push the button on the handle to shot the stake forward and…" Riten then punched her open palm with a grin. "Bam! You pierce through any armor with ease!"

"This won't blow up on me or backfire, will it?" Baron asked warily.

"Of course it won't! I'm the one who made this and I can guarantee its safety!" Riten boasted.

"...You said that too before everything went wrong," Gakushin deadpanned, her eyebrow twitching violently. The silver-haired warrior was too familiar with that sentence before she ended receiving the wrong result of her experiment.

Oh the horrors...

"Mou...Nagi! Have more confidence in me!" Riten pouted with her hands on her hips.

Baron looked at the pile bunker mounted on his arm for a moment before he turned to Riten. "Is there anything that I can test this thing on?"

"That's what Nagi is here for," Riten answered. "Lend me a hand with something, will you?"

Gakushin blinked confusedly as her friend ushered her. Baron then gave the pile bunker another lookover before he pushed the button, causing the iron stake to shot out. Baron grunted when he felt the recoil from the earlier shot as he returned the stake to its normal position. It was really strong and he was sure that if he wasn't transformed, he would've broken his arm in the process.

Gakushin and Riten returned soon with a thick iron slab, about two inches thick and a little taller than Baron was. They put it standing on the ground as the purple haired girl patted the iron slab with a grin. "You can try the pile bunker on this iron slab. It's pretty thick and tough, but I'm sure my newest invention can pierce through!"

"If you say so," Baron shrugged as he readied the pile bunker. He cocked his fist ready before he punched toward the iron slab as he activated the pile bunker. "HAAAH!"

The iron stake shot forward and pierced the iron slab, leaving a sizeable hole on it. Baron pulled out his hand and whistled at his handiwork while Riten cheered.

"Alright! It's a success!"

"Such power…" Gakushin whispered in surprise.

"It sure did," Baron nodded before he removed the pile bunker and gave it back to Riten. "It's too heavy, though and its recoil is insane. I even felt it in my armor, so you may want to revise it so our soldiers can use it in battle. Oh, and figure out how to automatically set the stake for use and reset it afterward."

Riten nodded thoughtfully at Baron's input. The brunette could see that her mind was already devising a revision plan for the pile bunker.

He then closed his Lockseed and reverted to his civilian persona. "If that's all, I'm going to cook lunch with Ruru. So clean up here and head back to the castle in an hour, okay?"

At the mention of his cooking, Gakushin and Riten had this gleam on their eyes before replying hurriedly. "At once, Shun-sama/Boss!"

As the girls went to clean up the workshop, Shun walked away with a grin on his face. Now everyone in Karin's court were hooked with his cooking which made him really proud of himself. Whistling a jaunty tune, Shun headed directly to the kitchen.

---

When Shun arrived in the kitchen, someone else was there busily bustling around the kitchen and preparing the ingredients for lunch. The person was a young girl, almost as young as Rinrin if not a little older. She had short, chin-length green hair with an ahoge and a blue bow tied on it and amber eyes. She was wearing a short, sleeveless yellow shirt and black shorts with a pair of fingerless gloves covering her hands. As she was preparing lunch for everyone, she was wearing a white cooking apron over her shirt and shorts.

The girl noticed Shun and happily greeted him, "Ah, Nii-san! You came!"

"Hey there, Ruru," Shun greeted back as he went to wash his hands. "What do we got today?"

"Kii, Shunran-san, and Shuuran-san managed to get some ingredients for us when they went hunting earlier today," the girl answered. Her name was Ten'i Shiman, one of Karin's general and her personal cook along with Shun. "We have some wild ox meat tenderized by Kii's flail, some vegetables and spices, mushrooms...Oh, and some chicken too."

"I see…" Shun said as he wore his apron and went to look at the ingredients for lunch they had. Looking at the ingredients, he mentally browsed through his mental cookbook for a recipe. Once he found the appropriate recipe, he turned to Ten'i with a grin. "Well Ruru, looks like today is your lucky day. You're going to learn how to cook a dish from my world."

"Really?" the young girl asked excitedly.

"Yup! Now, let's start with this…" Shun then taught Ten'i how to cook the new dish and made her watch him as he went step by step to prepare and cook the dish.

Cooking time to Shun was a sacred moment where he would nobody was allowed to disturb him and he was able to take his mind off several things. Nothing else mattered on the moment beside cooking for her Loliness and her entourage.

---

Karin was sitting at the head table of the dining room with her officers sitting on the side of the table, waiting for their lunch to be served.

"I wonder what Ruru and Onii-chan are cooking for lunch?" asked a pink-haired girl, a little drool escaped the corner of her lips as she imagined the delicious food that her friend and big brother figure was cooking. Her hair was done into pulled up twintails and her eyes were amber. She was wearing a sleeveless short pink shirt and pink shorts. Her name was Kyoucho Chuukou, one of the physically strongest generals of Karin's despite her young age and petite stature.

"Knowing them, it would be something really good," Kakuka answered with a defeated sigh. "...Was it wrong for me to envy Baron's cooking prowess?"

"None at all because no man should be able to cook as well as he can," answered a puppet that sat on top of a girl's head. The girl in question had long blonde hair with sleepy-looking green eyes. She was wearing long blue dress and chewing on her lollipop.

"Too good," the girl added for her puppet.

This girl was Tei'iku Chuutoku, one of Karin's strategists. She was a skilled ventriloquist as shown with her puppet who appeared to be talking on its own.

Kakuka moaned and slumped on the table dejectedly. "...That sucks…"

"Well, it's not like everyone is born to be a good cook like Shun, is it?" Chouryou spoke up with a smirk. After her capture at the battle of Shisui Pass, Karin had offered her a place in her court as one of her generals. Chouryou, seeing she had no choice, chose to join Sou Gi.

"But for a man to be that good at cooking, it seriously wounds my pride as a woman," Kakouen admitted with a slight embarrassment.

"I still can't believe that idiot Baron is really good at cooking," Jun'iku said, her tone thick with resentment.

Karin sipped on her green tea and sighed before she set her cup down. "Give it a rest, Keifa. It does not matter if Baron is better at cooking than everyone here, all that matters is that the dishes he served for us are delicious." The blonde empress then added to no one but herself, "...No matter how much it pains me to admit that."

Then, as if he was called, Shun and Ten'i entered the room pushing a cart with several covered plates. "Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone! Special Shun Murayama Lunch Menu Deluxe is served by yours truly!" Shun announced loudly.

Several maids then served the plate to everyone present while Shun and Ten'i took of their apron and sat on their respective seats. When the maids opened the covers, Karin and her generals blinked when they didn't recognize the dishes. Grilled bite-sized meat and chicken were served together with grilled vegetables, mushroom, and sauce that appeared to be soy sauce rich with garlic and other spices.

"What is this, Baron?" asked Karin.

"This, your Loliness, is one of the food of my period called a steak," Shun said proudly. "I have to modify the recipe a little, but I can guarantee that it tastes good, really good!"

"Hmph, Karin-sama will be the judge of that, Baron," Jun'iku scoffed.

"Well, then please dig in and enjoy," Shun bowed. "Itadakimasu."

Karin took a piece of a meat with her chopstick, examined it for a moment before she took a bite. Her eyes widened as her taste bud was hit by the rich flavor of the sauce and the tenderness of the meat as she chewed the steak. She finally swallowed it for a moment and inclined her head down, causing her bangs to cover her eyes. To everyone's surprise, her shoulders began to tremble.

"Karin-sama, are you alright?" Kakouen asked worriedly.

"Hah! I knew you would finally screw up!" Kakouton crowed.

"Just wait and see," Shun replied with a knowing smile.

Karin then looked up and she was openly crying tears of happiness, much to everyone's surprise. "It tastes... so good... so heavenly... so…!" She finally lost her words before she took another bite of her steak and the vegetables.

Shun smirked smugly at the gaping Jun'iku and Kakouton. "Well, did you say something?"

Kyoucho finally took a bite and her eyes sparked in delight. "SOOOOO DELICIOOOUUUUS!"

"It tastes really, REALLY good," Kakouen commented as she chewed on her steak. A sob then escaped her lips as she cried too, "Gods in Heaven, was this your way to remind us of our role as women?"

"T-This...This can't be true…" Kakouton said in denial as she finally took a bite of the steak. She then grasped the place where her heart should be. "W-Why does it hurt so much after eating this idiot's dish!?"

"Well, to be honest, I really couldn't have done it without the ingredients you brought back. So, thanks, Ton-chan, Kii-chan and En-chan," Shun grinned before he gestured to other generals of Gi. "Dig in everyone! Help yourselves and don't be shy to ask for more! I cooked enough for several servings!"

The rest of Gi generals dug in for their food and they too was surprised when they tasted the new dish.

"Whoa! This has to be the best dish I've ever eaten!" Chouryou said before she scarfed down her serving like a hungry wolf.

"Delicious! Too delicious!" Ukin commented as she devoured her serving in record time. Next to her, Riten is too absorbed in her dish to notice anything else.

"I-Is this... W-What they call a total defeat?" Gakushin sobbed after she swallowed her piece of steak.

Kakuka was wailing as she ate her serving, "Why Gods, why!? How can a man surpass a woman in cooking!? It's irrational!"

"Too perfect," Tei'iku's puppet spoke as the sleepy-looking strategist ate her food silently and giving Shun a thumbs-up while doing that.

Jun'iku was eating her steak mechanically as her mind shorted when she tried to rationalize what the heck was happening and how the hell Shun was that good in cooking. 'This is impossible!' Jun'iku said in her thoughts. 'There's no WAY that Baron's food tastes this good! I refuse to accept it!'

"This is great, Nii-san! Everyone loved your cooking!" said Ten'i happily before she took a bite from her steak and swooned. "Ah~, so delicious! I'm so happy that you taught me this recipe, Nii-san!"

Shun smiled proudly at the result of his cooking. At least when it came to cooking skills, Shun was superior to Yamato. And damn if he wasn't so proud of this achievement. He made the Sousou Motoku shed a tear of happiness! Score one for him!

'Whoever said you can't make a woman happy through their stomach was dead wrong,' Shun thought to himself as he swallowed his own steak. He was broken from his reverie when Karin called out to him.

"Can I have more?" Karin asked with wide blue eyes that he personally found adorable as she held her now empty plate out expectantly.

"Sure," Shun replied while he mentally cackled like a madman. 'Yes! Blackmail material! I can bribe my way out of any situation with my cooking! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, I'm a freaking genius!'

It was just another lunch in Sou Gi and wasn't until much later when Sousou realized that she had forgotten to discuss the next plan in her conquest because of Shun's deliciously distracting cooking.

"Stupid, delicious, distracting food…" Karin mumbled in her throne.

---

Meanwhile in Shoku, things were getting busier after they defeated the En Clan. With their territory becoming larger with more villages, towns, and cities joining them, Shoku was swamped with paperwork. Fortunately, with the number of available generals increasing much after the last battle, Yamato could delegate the paperwork to lighten the load for everyone.

Put up on the wall of Yamato's office was a map of China. Several areas had been marked as conquered by the factions. The territories marked in blue belonged to Shoku, the purple territories belonged to Gi, while those that belonged to Go were marked with red.

Shuri had just documented their latest victory and no doubt news of Enshou's defeat at their hands was being spread right at this moment. Praises were being sung about him. The blonde strategist smiled when she recalled her lord's reaction to the praises he got from others.

"I become this strong and could only achieve this much because of my comrades," Yamato admitted freely. "Besides, without my gear I can't even do half the things I have done so far."

Her lord was so humble. Even after all he had done, he didn't take all the credits for himself. He would always ask that his name be put together with his generals who had put their best efforts to support him. Since he had put his trust in them, at the very least they would return his trust by doing their best in the jobs he had assigned to them.

Shuri was writing the next chapter of the Shoku Dynasty Chronicle when she heard a knock at the door.

"Shuri-chan. I bring the documents you asked," Hinari's voice was heard from beyond the door.

"Bring them in, Hinari-chan," Shuri replied.

Hinari then entered the door bringing a stack of documents with her. "Here you go, Shuri-chan." The twin-tailed strategist said as she placed the documents on the desk where Shuri was working. "What are you doing?"

"I'm writing the Chronicles of the Shoku Dynasty. I'm writing this so the next generations will not forget the hard work Yamato-sama had done to ensure peace for everyone," answered Shuri as she smiled."I have done most of the major events up to the En Clan's defeat and will need to reread some of the archives to see if I have missed something and the minor events."

"I see…" Hinari nodded in understanding. "Do you want me to help you?"

"Really? You would?" Shuri asked in response to her friend's offer.

"Yes. By doing it together, we can see if any of us have missed or mistaken something in our work. Besides, the Chronicle will be completed faster if we work together," Hinari smiled in answer.

"Thank you, Hinari-chan. Then let's get into it now!" Shuri beamed happily.

---

Yamato was out in the field. The reason? He was receiving archery lessons from Shion.

Jimber Lemon Arms used the Sonic Arrow as a primary weapon. While he could make do with the Musou Saber and using the Sonic Arrow as a melee weapon, he didn't want to have a handicap when he could learn to use the weapon to its full potential. He didn't have very good accuracy with a bow and arrow, hence Shion was giving him lessons to help him master the art of archery.

"Please keep your aim steady, Yamato-sama. Do not twist your waist too much and please adjust your wrist," Shion corrected Yamato as she stood next to him.

Yamato nodded as he corrected himself like Shion had instructed him. He adjusted his aim before he fired his arrow. The King of Shoku made a displeased grunt when his arrow veered off from the intended target by quite a margin.

"I missed again," Yamato grumbled before he took another arrow from the quiver next to him. It looked like archery didn't came naturally to him like how swordsmanship was. Still, he was a good shot with guns, like his Musou Saber. He chalked it up because of Shun often dragging him to the game arcade to play FPS games so much. Yuki was dragged along too and was better than both of them, always scoring a PERFECT score. They even tried laser tag and Shun even suggested they tried paintball before they were transported to this era.

"It's alright, Yamato-sama. Please try again," Shion encouraged him.

Just when he was about to take another shot, he was surprised when Shion pressed herself against him and corrected his posture up close and personal.

"Keep your arm steady and don't twist your wrist when you release your arrow," Shion spoke up into his ear, causing a shiver to run down his spine. The way her breasts pressed against his back made Yamato painfully aware on how seductive Shion was even when she didn't even try to seduce him at all, or she was really seducing him now. The lavender scented soap and shampoo she used made it even harder for him to focus.

"Er, Shion?" Yamato said to her, blushing a bit.

"Yes, Yamato-sama?" she replied in an innocent tone. Shion was either really good at faking that innocent tone or she was really innocent he really didn't know.

"You're too close. People will get ideas, you know?"

Shion chuckled to herself as she guided his hands with hers to correct his aim. "Let them be. We are just training, correct?"

"Y-Yeah, but I already have a girlfriend a-and…"

"You don't want them to think I'm seducing you?" she finished for him with a bemused smile.

"That, and I don't know how Aisha will react if she saw you and me this close," Yamato replied.

"I am grateful for your concern, Yamato-sama, but it is fine by me," said Shion, surprising the young king greatly. She then whispered to his ear seductively, "I'm fine with sharing you with Aisha or anyone else."

"Er..." Yamato's face was so red that people would mistaken him with a ripe tomato. He was honestly shocked with her response, or her view of a relationship. He knew that his position as a lord allowed him to have multiple wives, mistresses and possibly even concubines, but he came from a time when monogamy was the norm.

Now how was he going to respond to her words?

Meanwhile, Shion kept adjusting his posture for a moment before she told him, "You may take a shot now, Yamato-sama."

"E-Eh? O-Oh, right," Yamato then calmed himself and adjusted his posture like what Shion did earlier. The purple haired woman helped him a little more before she nodded, signalling Yamato to fire.

When he released his arrow, it soared through the air and pierced the inner ring of the target. Not in the center yet, but was a good enough shot for someone who had trained in archery for a short time.

"Very good, Yamato-sama. You have improved so much in such a short time," Shion praised him with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks to your help," Yamato replied as he turned to face her, only to realize that Shion was still close to him and their faces were only inches apart.

"Fufufu, I think you should have a reward for your hard work, yes?" Shion giggled teasingly and seductively at the same time.

"I-It's not necessary!" Yamato replied flusteredly as he separated himself from the purple-haired woman. Shion just giggled at his reaction which caused him to realize something, "You're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Hehe, my apologies," Shion apologized as she got her giggles under control. She then addressed to him, "Shall we continue our training?"

Yamato then looked at the sun's position answered to her. "I think it's enough for today. Kada-sensei is going to give Aisha another checkup before he gives her a clean health bill. I want to be there when she is released."

"I see. Very well then," Shion nodded in understanding. "Please give my regards to Aisha. I have to check on Riri. I hope she didn't give Tenhou and her sisters too much trouble."

"I doubt that would happen. Riri is a good girl and the Chou Sisters are more than happy to entertain her while we're training together," Yamato replied.

"I sure hope so," Shion smiled before the two of them packed up their training gears and went for their own business. Before they separated, Shion called out to Yamato. "Yamato-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Although I was teasing you earlier, I really meant it when I said I was alright with sharing you with Aisha and the others."

"Grk!" Yamato blushed and he quickly fled from Shion who giggled.

"He's so cute," Shion smiled as she put one hand on her cheek. She then left the training ground with the intent to see her daughter. She then added with a wistful expression, "He would make a good father too."

---

Aisha had recovered from her Helheim Infection and was as healthy as ever. She really hated it when she had to stay behind while her beloved lord and friends were off on another battle. They could've used her help. Fortunately, they returned victorious and she was relieved to see that Yamato was alright.

Imagine her surprise when he returned with more allies for their cause. She was happy with more people sharing the same dream and the same ideals as hers and her lord's, but she couldn't shake the feeling that things were going to get harder from now on.

Kada hummed thoughtfully as he checked on her pulse. He nodded to himself before turning to Aisha. "You are in a good health, Kan'u-dono, and you are able to return to your duties as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Kada-sensei," Aisha bowed to Kada who waved off her gratitude.

"Please thank Yamato-sama instead. He was the one who got the fruit to make the salve," Kada informed her.

"Thank you, Yamato-sama," Aisha bowed to Yamato.

"Just...don't do it again, okay?" he said to her. Yamato still remembered how close it was for him to lose Aisha just because of his irrational fear of dogs.

"Yes, I understand," she answered, smiling.

"If that is all, then I will take my leave now. Please excuse me, Yamato-sama, Kan'u-dono."

Kada then left Aisha's room, leaving the couple for themselves. Yamato then took his customary position on her bedside as he took her hand in his.

"I'm glad you're finally alright, Aisha," Yamato spoke up, smiling at her as he did so.

"I too am glad to be finally be able to fight alongside with you again, Yamato-sama," Aisha replied as she smiled back at him. "I was worried sick when you went into battle without me. I was afraid that something bad might happen to you."

"I appreciate the concern, but I wasn't alone. I had the others to back me up."

"I tried to tell myself that, but I was still really worried."

Yamato then squeezed her hand gently. "It's alright. I'm right here and I'm alright."

"I know," Aisha smiled as she returned the squeeze.

"Now that you've recovered, I can fulfill my promise to you," said Yamato, smiling faintly.

"What promise, Yamato-sama?" Aisha tilted her head to the side before she remembered what he meant. A healthy blush adorned her cheeks as she whispered, "O-Oh, you mean…"

"Yeah, I promised that I will take you on a date once you have recovered and after I have dealt with Enshou, didn't I?" replied Yamato.

"T-That's true…" Aisha spoke up, feeling a little embarrassed at the prospect of spending the whole day together only with her lord in a romantic setting.

"How's tomorrow sounds to you?" Yamato asked to her a little hopefully.

"E-Eh!? T-Tomorrow!?" Aisha squeaked in surprise.

"Is it no good?"

"N-No, i-it is fine with me. I-I was just a little surprised because i-it was too sudden," Aisha replied hurriedly at the crestfallen expression of her lord. She then added shyly with blushing cheeks, "...I would like to go to a date with you tomorrow, Yamato-sama."

A bright smile curved on Yamato's lips before he suddenly kissed his girlfriend. Aisha, though surprised by the suddenness of his action, reciprocated the kiss and deepened it. Their tongues danced against each other as if they were conveying their feeling for each other. The couple separated after their lungs demanded air with slightly glazed eyes and flushed cheeks.

"I love you, Aisha."

"I love you too, Yamato-sama."

The couple gazed into each other for a moment before Yamato asked, "So, I'll pick you up tomorrow for our date, then?"

"I will be waiting for you, Yamato-sama," Aisha smiled in answer.

Yamato then pecked her lips before he walked out of Aisha's room. "I'll see you tomorrow, Aisha."

Aisha just nodded while still smiling in return.

Yamato walked away from the room with extra skip on his footstep. He was going on a date with Aisha! Tomorrow! He then stopped before his eyes widened in realization.

'I don't have a clue what to do on my date tomorrow!'

---

"...And that's what happened," Yamato sighed as he finished telling his generals what happened.

"And why is that a big deal to you?" Ei asked with an arched eyebrow.

"It's because this is our first date as a couple, and even the first ever date that I and Aisha go on. I want to make it as perfect and as memorable as possible for her," Yamato told her.

"This is your first date ever, Yamato-sama?" Chiihou asked, honestly surprised with his admission.

"I was under impression you were very famous back in your home world," Pairen commented.

Yamato snorted a little at that, "They just wanted to date the Yamato Kusanagi, not the boy whose name is Yamato Kusanagi."

"Ah, I see. So they really don't want to date you as your own person, but rather the image they have built around you," Sei figured out and Yamato nodded.

"I don't want to date girls that couldn't differentiate between the real me and what my reputation imaged me as. I want the girl I dated to see me as who I really am, past through all the reputations and titles I hold."

All of his generals nodded at that. That was also the reason why Yamato had rejected the marriage proposals sent by the nobles around China. They just saw him as his titles and the image projected by his reputation, not the real him.

"So you chose to consult with us to ask what you should do on your date tomorrow," Kikyou concluded.

Yamato nodded sheepishly at that. "Yeah, I figured out that some of you may already have your own experience in dating someone." Yamato looked at Shion and Kikyou expectantly as he said the last part.

It was somewhat to be expected since the two of them were the more 'experienced' ladies of the Shoku court.

Shion seemed to think about it for a moment before she replied. "Very well, I will help you get ready for your date tomorrow."

"Really?" Yamato asked hopefully while Kikyou watched her longtime friend with an amused smile.

She knew Shion for a long time and she recognized the glint in her eyes as she had something else in mind. Likely, she wanted something in return for her help with the upcoming date between Yamato and Aisha.

"Yes, but I want you to do something in return, Yamato-sama," Shion answered.

The others save for Kikyou looked at the purple-haired woman curiously.

"Name it. I will do my best to fulfill your request," Yamato replied immediately.

Shion smiled at his reply and said, "I want you to spend a day with me and Riri on your next day off."

"That's it?" Shion nodded at Yamato's inquiry. "Alright, I will spend a day with you and Riri on my next day off."

"Thank you, Yamato-sama," the single mother smiled in reply. "I will need everyone's help to accomplish this. Here is what we are going to do for Yamato-sama's first date with Aisha..."

Shion then told everyone present her plan for the date tomorrow. They only had a little time, but the single mother believed they would have it ready for their lord and their comrade.

Yamato and Aisha would have a memorable first date or she wouldn't call herself Kouchuu Kanshou, the great Mistress of Love.

---

Yamato was trying his best to calm his rapidly beating heart as he approached Aisha's room. Give him bandits, enemy soldiers, Inves and even enemy Riders, he would deal with them without hesitation. But he was nervous, REALLY nervous for his first date with his girlfriend. So many things could go wrong in this date and would ruin it, but he had Shion and the rest of his generals' assurance that nothing would and could go wrong on his first date with Aisha.

Though, he wished he had Yuki's help in this. Unfortunately, she was all the way in Son Go and was no doubt busy with her own duties. He didn't want to disturb her or her work.

For the date, Yamato had dressed in a simple blue tunic with yellow accents with his personal emblem over his heart and black pants with black shoes covering his feet. He felt he was rather underdressed, but Shion and Sei, surprisingly, had told him to not wear anything too fancy for the date. He was going as Yamato Kusanagi the man, not Yamato Kusanagi the King of Shoku and the Messenger of Heaven, after all and he accepted their reasoning.

The others had also helped with their own preparation for making the date as memorable as possible for the couple. Besides, the occasion for the date was to celebrate Aisha's recovery and Enshou's defeat so everyone gave their best to prepare everything.

Yamato felt time passing too quickly when he found himself standing in front of Aisha's door and his nervousness doubled up suddenly. He took a deep breath to calm himself and opened the door, "Aisha, it's me. I'm coming in."

"Y-Y-Yamato-sama! P-Please wait a moment!" Aisha's warning came a little too late and Yamato already opened the door and was greeted by the sight he would never ever forget.

With her back facing him was a half naked Aisha, clad only in her light blue panties and black thigh-high socks. She was apparently in the middle of getting dressed when Yamato had barged in. There was a stunned silence between the couple before one of them finally reacted.

Normally Aisha wouldn't be bothered so much with her undressed state, but her femininity which she had pushed aside in favor of her warrior side had finally decided to assert itself since she and Yamato had becoming romantically involved. Aisha's response was quite as expected.

"KYAAAAAAAA!" Aisha screamed, her face red with mortification and embarrassment. She crossed her arms over breasts instinctively to protect her modesty as much as she could. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"

"S-Sorry!" Yamato apologized as he bolted out of the room and closed the door with a bang behind him. He tried to calm himself down while the image of the half-naked Aisha inadvertently burned deep into his mind. He remembered the bared pale skin of her back and every detail of her lovely, womanly curves, including her breasts and derriere.

'NOOOOOO!' Yamato mentally wailed as he fell all four on the floor as a black cloud of depression hung over his head. 'I messed up already!'

About five minutes laters, a still quite embarrassed and mortified Aisha walked out of her room and found a rather depressed Yamato curled up, leaning on the wall. She could faintly hear that he was muttering 'I messed up...' over and over.

"A-Ano, Y-Yamato-sama?" she tentatively called over her lord.

Yamato heard Aisha called for him and turned to face her. His eyes widened before he pulled a dogeza and apologized to her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to walk in on you! I should've knocked on the door first! Please forgive me!"

"I-It's alright, Yamato-sama,"Aisha replied, still with flushing cheeks before she bowed to Yamato, much to his surprise. "I-It should be me who apologized to you."

"What do you mean?"

Aisha then looked away from him, as if she couldn't meet his gaze. "I-I was too nervous for this date, so I didn't get much sleep last night. I woke up late and I...I realized I don't have appropriate clothes for the date when I got changed." Here she shyly looked at Yamato from the corner of her eyes. "T-That's when you walked in on me, Yamato-sama."

"O-Oh, I see…" Yamato replied before he chuckled about a second later. Guess they were both inexperienced virgins when it came to romance. "I guess it's not only me who is nervous about this date."

Aisha also chuckled in return before she smiled at Yamato. "Yes, I am really nervous about this date too."

Unknown to Yamato, Aisha had actually asked for romantic advice from her friends. As the Chou Sisters were also known for their love songs, she decided to go to the trio to see if they had any advice that could help her with her dilemma. She also had asked her sworn elder sister Touka if she had any advice for her date and Sei, who had proclaimed herself as the Second Mistress of Love.

Funny thing was, Aisha visited them not long after Yamato sought them for advice. Sei for obvious reasons was highly amused about this.

"Shall we get going then?" Yamato asked as he offered his hand.

Aisha's cheek flushed pink as she took Yamato's offered hand and linked it with hers. "Yes, we shall."

As the couple left for their date, they didn't realize they were being spied on by Sei, Touka, the Chou Sisters, Sui, and Tanpopo.

"That went well," Sei commented.

"For now at least," Sui replied before she asked at the blue-haired girl. "Why are we doing this again?"

"Aren't you all curious with how their date will go?" Sei asked.

Chiihou frowned and said, "I am curious, but...we still have to prepare for our performance later."

"That's right. We are having a concert at the end of Yamato-sama and Aisha-san's date, just like Shion-san planned," Tenhou added.

"We still have to practice the new song Yamato-sama wanted us to sing at the concert too," Renhou finished. Yamato had taught them another song exclusively for his date with Aisha. While the Chou Sisters were quite jealous of Aisha for the moment, they had to push it aside for their lord's sake.

"Spoilsport," Sei pouted before turning to Touka. "What about you, Touka? Don't you want to see how the date goes?"

"I admit I am curious, but…" Touka shook her head. "Yamato-sama and Aisha-chan deserve some privacy for their date."

"Tanpopo? Sui?" Sei turned to the Ba Sisters.

"Like Touka-sama said, Yamato-sama and Aisha-san deserve some privacy for their date, so I won't peek on them," Sui answered after a moment of hesitation.

"Aww~, why not? I think it will give you some ideas for your own date with Yamato-sama in the future," Tanpopo teased.

"Tanpopo!" a red faced Sui yelled as she pulled Tanpopo's ears.

"Ow! Sui-neechan! Let go!" the youngest of Ba Clan survivor yelped as her cousin dragged her away.

"Well, we better make our own preparation too," Tenhou said as she and her sisters also left.

"I have to help Yue-chan, Ei-chan, and Shion-san in the kitchen. Please excuse me, Sei-san," Touka bowed before she too left.

"You people have no sense of fun…" Sei sighed in disappointment before she left. Well she could enjoy her menma and a nice cup of sake to pass the time. Maybe Kikyou was interested in sharing a drink with her.

---

Yamato and Aisha were strolling in the capital, hands linked with each other. The citizens who saw them all waved and smiled at the couple. They saw their joined hands and some asked about their relationship, which the couple answered shyly with, "We're courting each other now."

The citizens were happy with the news, so they kind of celebrated it. The food vendors were giving them discounts for the food they sold, although Yamato had admitted they only had to eat lightly since he and Aisha planned to have a picnic later. The merchants nodded in understanding before telling him that the discount could be used for a later date, much to the couple's embarrassment.

An accessory merchant even gave Aisha a violet flower-shaped hairpin for free, which she accepted shyly. When Yamato tried to pay for the hairpin, the merchant refused telling him it was a gift and a charm so their relationship would last forever. He also gave a necklace to compliment her appearance further.

Currently, Yamato and Aisha were shopping for some new dresses for the latter in a clothes shop that the Chou Sisters visited frequently and recommended. Yamato was looking through the collection of dresses that the shop had while Aisha had gone to try on a dress that caught her attention earlier.

"You really have a good collections, sir," Yamato commented as he browsed through the clothes.

"Thank you for your kind words, Yamato-sama," the shopkeeper replied humbly. He then browsed through another pile of clothes before pulling out a folded dress and handed it over to Yamato. "I'm sure Kan'u-sama will look lovely in this dress."

Yamato accepted the dress and unfolded it as he examined it. "You're right. Aisha will no doubt looks good in this," he commented with a smile. "Can you make some custom clothes for me?"

"It would be an honor, Yamato-sama. What do you want me to make?"

Before Yamato could gave the details to the shopkeeper, Aisha had finished changing into the clothes she wanted to try on.

"How do I look, Yamato-sama?" Aisha asked a little bashfully. She now was dressed in a short green qipao dress with peacock tails-like motif on it and slits on the sides to allow movements for her leg. A pair of white cuffs adorned her wrist and her legs covered by white leggings with garters instead. Her ponytail was held together by white bun instead of the usual golden bangle.

She struck several poses for her boyfriend, albeit it was a little stiff since she was rather embarrassed now. Sei and the Chou Sisters had told her if she was trying on some new clothes, Aisha should pose for Yamato so he could appreciate her beauty further.

"You look really beautiful, Aisha," Yamato commented honestly.

Aisha's cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. "T-Thank you, Yamato-sama," she replied shyly.

Yamato then offered the dress in his hands, "Here. You may want to try this dress on. The shopkeeper recommended it to me. Oh, and don't forget to try on that hairpin you got. I think it would look good on you when you wear that dress."

Aisha nodded before taking the dress he offered and went to change her clothes again.

Yamato then turned to the shopkeeper, "Now about those custom clothes I want you to make…"

Several minutes later, as Yamato had finished giving the details for his new clothes to the shopkeeper, Aisha finally finished changing into her new clothes. Yamato had sensed his girlfriend coming and turned to see her, only for him to freeze, wide eyed and mouth slightly agape, at the sight of Aisha in her new dress.

The dress she was wearing was white with baby blue accents with a blue bow tied under her breasts which put more emphasize to them. Her sleeves were apparently a separate piece from the rest of her dress, which styled over a short jacket. It was white and semi translucent which allowed Yamato to see through the four straps of her dress. What made her really beautiful was her hair. Her lush, shiny black hair was off of its usual ponytail with the violet hairpin keeping it together. She also wore the necklace the merchant gave to her.

Aisha did a small twirl and curtsied to Yamato. "How do I look, Yamato-sama?"

"Aisha...Wow...You look...heavenly…"Yamato managed to breathe out, awestruck with how lovely she looked. If Aisha ever came to his world, she would probably be one of the most sought after girls due to her beauty.

Aisha blushed prettily as she ducked her head bashfully. "I-Is that true, Yamato-sama?"

"Yeah," Yamato nodded as he got out from his dazed stupor and smiled at her. "If there was any definition of loveliness and beauty, I think you will fit them just right."

Aisha's blush intensified while the shopkeeper just smiled. To be young and in love…

Yamato ended up buying her several more clothes for other occasions and paid for them before they left the shop. The young king was carrying the bags that had their shopping in while Aisha was walking next to him, wearing the white dress that she had tried out earlier.

"Are you sure you don't need help with carrying those, Yamato-sama?" Aisha asked concernedly.

"It's alright. It is considered to be a rude thing if a man let a woman carry their shoppings on their date," Yamato answered with a smile. "Besides, this isn't too much for me."

Aisha smiled back at him and nodded. "Very well. Where are we going next?"

"Let's make a quick stop to the castle to drop the clothes and take a horse along with our lunch for the picnic I promised you," Yamato answered.

Aisha then followed him for quick side-trip to the castle. Waiting for them in the gates were Shion, Yue, Ei, and a horse for their trip. The former empress had a wrapped up picnic basket with her and Ei was holding the rein of the horse.

"Ah, welcome back, Yamato-sama, Aisha-san!" Yue greeted as she noticed the pair approaching. She then gasped when she saw how Aisha looked in her dress. "Oh my! Aisha-san! You look absolutely lovely!"

Aisha smiled with a blush, "Thank you, Yue-dono. It was Yamato-sama who got me this dress."

"Really?" Ei cocked an eyebrow skeptically. "He actually has good taste?" Yue gently elbowed her friend for her rude comment.

"Ara, you are a true vision of beauty, Aisha. I'm almost jealous," praised Shion.

Aisha blushed under the praises she received from her comrades. "T-Thank you, everyone."

"These are Aisha's new clothes. Can you take them and drop them off in her room?," Yamato said to Ei as he took the horse from her.

"Of course," Ei replied as she received the bags with clothes inside.

Yue then handed over the picnic basket to Aisha. "Here you go, Aisha-san. Please enjoy the lunch we made for you."

"Thank you," Aisha replied as she accepted the basket.

"We better be off then," Yamato said as he helped Aisha to get on to the the horse before him.

"Take care and be careful, Yamato-sama," Yue smiled as she waved.

"Please enjoy your date. You can leave the other preparations here to me and Ei-chan," Shion called out.

"You better don't get the wrong idea! I'm doing this not to help you or something like that!" Ei quickly added defensively.

Yamato just chuckled as he and Aisha rode off to the spot he had chosen days ago. It would be a perfect place for his picnic with Aisha.

---

The ride toward the picnic spot was rather silent, but peaceful and relaxed. Since neither Yamato nor Aisha was in hurry, they chose to ride slowly. While she was curious of their destination Aisha decided to bask in the warm presence of her beloved lord, not really in the mood for talking. Yamato himself was grateful for the silence as he wanted their destination to be a secret for the moment and was content to have his beloved close to him.

After about an hour of riding, the couple finally arrived at their destination. It was a grassy field near a lake shore. A lone tree stood on the grassy field and a waterfall cascaded down from a hill into the lake. The sunlight made the surface of the lake sparkle, creating a beautiful sight. It wasn't always common to find such a peaceful scene in such a war-torn era. However, miracles could happen.

"Yamato-sama, how did you find this place?" Aisha asked in awe as Yamato set up for their picnic.

"I found it some days ago when I was patrolling with my unit," Yamato answered for her. "Since then I've been using it as a nice quiet spot away from home to meditate."

"It's so beautiful," Aisha commented.

"That's why I picked this place for our date. I'm glad you like it," Yamato smiled as he finished setting up their picnic. "Shall we eat now?"

The couple enjoyed the lunch in another comfortable silence. Yue, Ei, and Shion had gone all out for cooking their lunch, which Yamato and Aisha were grateful for. The young king made a mental note to get them something nice for all of the trouble they went through. Aisha resolved to see Shion if she could give a cooking lesson or two. She too wanted to cook something nice for her beloved lord once in a while.

Once they finished their lunch, Yamato and Aisha decided to just sit there and relax enjoying nature's beauty.

"You know," Yamato started to say, catching Aisha's attention. "This kind of view is rather hard to find back in my world."

"Really?" the young king nodded at her question.

"People have harmed nature in the name of progress and advancement. Lush grasslands and forests were cut down to become residences for them or buildings for their work place or facilities for pleasure. What they didn't realize that some disasters that happened to them were because their own actions and the way of nature striking back."

"Then we will have to find a way to keep advancing without harming nature, right Yamato-sama?" Aisha asked in return as she grasped his hand.

Yamato nodded and smiled as he returned her gesture of affection. "That's right. There is always third option for everything. We have to just work hard to look for it."

Aisha smiled at her lord's answer before she remembered a tip given by the Chou Sisters for their date. She blushed in embarrassment, but she was going to do it anyway, for the sake of her lord. Steeling her resolve, Aisha then pulled Yamato close and put his head in her lap.

"Aisha?" Yamato was surprised. Aisha was giving him the legendary lap pillow?

"How does it feel, Yamato-sama?" Aisha asked with a smile and flushed cheeks.

Yamato adjusted his head and let out a contented sigh, "It feels really comfortable."

"I'm glad to hear that." Aisha smiled again.

They stayed like this in comfortable silence for some moments as Aisha gently combed her lord's hair with her hand. "Hey Aisha…"

"Hm? What is it Yamato-sama?" Aisha asked.

"How much longer until we finally obtain peace for everyone?" Yamato mused out loud. "It would be great for everyone to have this kind of peace like we do, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would," Aisha concurred. "It would be wonderful."

"But true peace can never last," Yamato sighed. He had studied history in school and many wars had been waged over the centuries. "I wonder...how much longer must I stain my hands in blood?"

Aisha looked at her lord sadly as he said that. "I too have wondered about that for a long time. But we cannot waver in our path. You said it yourself, didn't you?" She then smiled at him. "No matter what path you take and no matter what choices you make, you will not have any regrets over them."

"Yeah, that's right," Yamato smiled back at his loving girlfriend. He then reached for her cheek and gently caressed it. "Thank you for reminding me of what I have decided, Aisha."

"It is my pleasure to be of help to you, Yamato-sama," Aisha replied as she placed her hand on top of his.

The couple just enjoyed the silence for a moment before Aisha recalled an 'advice' given by Sei before her face went aflame. Yamato noticed this and couldn't help what she was thinking .

"Is something wrong, Aisha?"

"A-Ah, it's nothing!" she denied quickly. "I-It's just some stupid a-advice from Sei. Please think forget it!"

"Let me guess," Yamato replied with half-bemused and half-apprehensive look. "She wanted you to make love with me at the end of our date."

Aisha's face became so red and Yamato swore her ears emitting steam. She gave a barely perceivable nod and the young king sighed.

"Aisha, look at me please," Yamato said and his girlfriend looked at him. He then assured with a smile on his face, "I won't push you to do 'the deed' with me if you're not ready yet. Besides, if we want to do 'the deed' then it will be our decision, not Sei or anyone else's. Just remember, I won't push you if you're not ready yet."

Aisha visibly relieved by the understanding words of her lord. It felt like a burden had been relieved from her. "Thank you, Yamato-sama."

"Don't mention it," Yamato replied as the couple smiled at each other.

Aisha then suddenly leaned down and captured Yamato's lips with her own, Yamato closed his eyes and returned the kiss. They stayed like that for some moments until they separated, cheeks flushed and eyes glazed.

"...Perhaps I am not ready to...do 'the deed' as you put it, but I am ready for a kiss or two," Aisha admitted, smiling shyly as she did so.

"Then what's stopping you?" Yamato challenged her in joking manner, which prompted Aisha to kiss him again.

Things were getting heated for the couple, but before things could escalate they stopped. None of them were ready yet to do 'the deed' and had to content with loving and passionate kisses. Afterward, they choose to take a nap in each other arms.

---

The sun was slowly setting in the horizon when Yamato and Aisha returned to Xizang, just at the moment to see everyone was doing the final preparations for the Chou Sisters' concert. As they were the guests of honor, Shuri and Hinari, the acting event organizers had forbidden the couple to help and had Ren and Pairen to guide them to their VIP seats in the front. They were flustered with how much of a big deal everyone made for their first date, but they realized it was their own fault for making such a big deal of it.

Soon the concert was about to begin and everyone was waiting eagerly for the Chou Sisters to appear on stage. Yamato and Aisha sat in the middle of front seats where they were occupied by Shoku officers.

"So how was your date, Aisha-chan?" Touka asked eagerly to her sworn sister.

"It was...perfect," Aisha managed to answer. Even perfect was an understatement for what she felt about her first date.

"So are you going to give your virginity to Yamato-sama after this?" Sei asked teasingly.

Sui and Pairen who had heard Sei's question choked on the barbeque skewers they were eating. Tanpopo and Ruo immediately set to help them.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Sei, but Yamato-sama and I agreed that none of us are ready to do 'the deed' yet," Aisha answered with a smirk toward the blue haired girl.

"How prudish," Sei pouted.

"On contrary, Yamato-sama's action have spoken volume of his character," Kikyou replied before she smiled at Aisha. "Good job on your part, Aisha."

"Thank you, Kikyou," Aisha smiled back.

"I take it the date went as planned, Yamato-sama?" Shion inquire to her lord.

"Yes, it did. It couldn't have gone well without your help, Shion. Thank you," answered Yamato.

"Just please remember your promise to spend a day off with me and Riri. I will consider us even then," Shion smiled in reply.

Soon the crowd cheered as the Chou Sisters entered the stage and greeted the audience.

"Hello, everyone! Good evening!" Chiihou greeted while the crowd went into cheering frenzy. "I'm Chouhou!"

"I am Chouryou."

"And I'm Choukaku! The Chou Sisters are back On Stage!" Tenhou finished as she and her sisters struck a pose as they pyrotechnic went off, causing the audience to roar out their cheers.

They pyrotechnic itself was a part of the magic inside the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace, but Chouhou and her sisters managed to reverse engineer it to support their performance.

"Welcome back to another of our concert and today is a special occasion for us!" Tenhou spoke to the audience.

"Today we celebrate Shoku's victory over the En Clan and to celebrate the first date of Yamato-sama and Aisha-san," Renhou added for her sister as the spotlight highlighted on Yamato and Aisha.

The couple blushed in embarrassment as the crowd cheered again, but they didn't let go of each other's hand.

"It is a momentous celebration indeed," Chiihou agreed before she pointed her finger at Aisha. "You may have won the first battle Aisha-san, but we will not give up on pursuing Yamato-sama's heart!"

Aisha narrowed her eyes and went to hug Yamato's arm possessively at Chiihou's challenge.

"Whoa, that's so bold of her," Tanpopo commented before she smiled slyly at her cousin. "You better step up your game, Sui-neechan. You don't want to be left behind in the race, do you?"

"W-What the heck are you saying, Tanpopo!?" Sui spluttered with flushed face.

"Ara, looks like I have to step my game too," Shion muttered under her breath, catching Yamato's attention.

"Did you say something, Shion?"

"It is nothing to worry about," the purple-haired single mother answered quickly. "Just remember Yamato-sama. You may have been raised in a society where monogamy is the norm, but polygamy is allowed here and encouraged for lords such as yourself."

"Please don't remind me," Yamato groaned as he massaged his temples with his free hand. Was he really going to end up having a harem at this rate?

'Wuss! Accept the fact already and enjoy it!' His mental voice snarked out. It sounded like Shun for some reason. 'The babes want you, so why the heck not?'

"There, there, Chiihou-chan. We're here to entertain everyone, remember?" Tenhou placated her youngest sister.

"I just have to say it, Tenhou-nee," Chiihou replied. She would never give up on the special person who had given her and her sister a second chance at everything.

Renhou then cleared her throat before she spoke, "Tonight's first song is a special request from Yamato-sama who had taught us this beautiful song." She then smiled at Yamato's direction. "Thank you, Yamato-sama."

Yamato smiled back the sisters as he encouraged them, "You three can do it! I believe in you!"

"Alright then! Let's do it, Renhou, Chiihou!" Tenhou said to her sisters as the song's music began to play.

(Insert BGM: "Happily Ever After" by Shouko Nakagawa)

"Kimi ni au mae no jibun wo wasureta mitai ni
kimi ga ita koro no kioku wo wasureraretanara
donna ni ii darou

Kazouekirenai hoshikuzu no naka
dokokade sotto mimamotte kureteru
hikari wo bokura wa ima mo koko de sagashiteru

Shiawase wa itsudatte
ushinatte hajimete shiawase to kizuku
chiisana fukou

Ima datte kitto mada maniau hazu dakara
negai wa tatta hitotsu

Kokyuu to onaji kazu dake naita sono ato ni
machi uketetano wa kono saki
eien ni tsuzuku kimi nashi no sekai

Hyakunen tattemo ienai kizu to tsutaenai kotoba
soredake wo michishirube ni shite bokura wa ima mo koko de ikiteiru

Shiawase wa itsudatte
ushinatte hajimete shiawase to kizuku
chiisana fukou

Ima datte kitto mada maniau hazu dakara
negai wa tatta hitotsu

Shiawase wa itsudatte
ushinatte hajimete shiawase to kizuku
sasayaka na koto

Shiawase wa itsudatte
nakushite hajimete shiawase to kizuku
taisetsu na koto

Ima datte kitto mada maniau hazu dakara
negai wa tatta hitotsu

Dokomademo oikakeru yo…"

(End BGM)

The crowd cheered wildly at the end of the song while Aisha let a contented sigh as she rested her head on Yamato's shoulder. The young king looked down on her and asked, "Did you like the song, Aisha?"

"It's beautiful," Aisha answered, smiling up at her beloved lord.

"It took me a while to choose the appropriate song, but I eventually chose this. I'm glad you liked it," Yamato replied. "Its title is like a prayer for our relationship and everyone else."

"Really? What is this song called?" Aisha asked curiously.

"Happily Ever After."

Aisha smiled at his answer, liking how it sounded. "It really fits."

"Isn't it?" Yamato smiled back at her. "Now let's enjoy the rest of the concert."

Aisha nodded as she snuggled closer to her lord. It was for this one day that she became Aisha the woman instead of Kan'u Unchou the warrior and she would enjoy for all of its worth. However, she couldn't help but wonder. Would she get another chance like this in the future with the girls that purused her lord's heart and the oncoming storm of war approaching?

---

A/N: Sorry if this was a little late. My editor was busy and so am I. Another chapter down and as you can see, things are developing here. Yuki is getting worried for her friends while Sonsaku is deadset on having Renfa marrying Yamato. Things were as close to normal in Gi while we learned that Shun had became a victim of an experiment went wrong. Oh, and he showed his cooking prowess once more and got a blackmail material for Karin. Yamato is being seduced by Shion while the single mother wants him to spend a day with her and Riri. Aisha's new dresses are actually canon material to the VN. Her green qipao is from SKM where her dress and hairpin is from KM. Yamato and Aisha had a lovely date and Chou Sisters is back On Stage with a new song. What happened to Enshou and her cohorts will be revealed in the next chapter, along with Yamato's day with Shion and Riri. As always, read and review. It's the author's lifeblood. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon. See you around and have a great weekend!